OUR STORIES

Supporters celebrated a major milestone in Christel House South Africa’s continued growth and impact with the official opening of its new high school building in Cape Town. The ribbon-cutting ceremony marked an important step in expanding access to high-quality, no-fee education for students from 30 underserved communities across the region. Christel House South Africa is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The new facility represents another strong investment in the school’s future with space for up to 300 additional learners. The new high school is part of Christel House South Africa’s broader 2030 growth plan, which already created space for 120 new Grade 8 and 9 students during the 2025 school year, and includes expanding the junior school (Grade RR to Grade 7) to accommodate 50% more learners per grade level over the next few years. Together, these efforts will increase total capacity on campus to 1,410 learners by 2030 — opening doors for hundreds more students and families in the years ahead. 

The modern facility includes new classrooms, a media center, a Computer Applications Technology lab, and administrative offices. The new space will also provide expanded room for career development and social services teams that support students beyond the classroom. 

Among those attending the celebration was Western Cape Education Minister David Maynier, who praised the school’s impact and partnership in education. “Christel House is a valued education partner,” he said. “They are delivering excellent learning outcomes, along with a package of support for learners.” 

For Christel House South Africa CEO Adri Marais, the expansion reflects a larger vision for long-term opportunity and social mobility. “What has been created here is not only expanded access to quality education and holistic support for more children, but a scalable investment in long-term opportunity and social mobility,” she said. “It is about ensuring that more children are given a seat at the table of life, as our founder, the late Christel DeHaan, so often said.”